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Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Wind River Review - 3½ Stars

"Wind River" presents a modern Western/thriller in the style of "Hell or High Water," both written by screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. A taciturn Jeremy Renner works for the US Fish & Wildlife Service, tracking predatory animals on a Wyoming reservation. He's a crack shot, and understands the land and culture. The plot begins as Renner discovers a teenage girl, frozen in the snow. He suspects murder, and calls in the FBI, represented by untested rookie agent Elizabeth Olsen. She senses his understanding of the culture, and they team up, using his tracking abilities and her police techniques. As the story spins, we get hints of what the case means to Renner. The actor Graham Greene (so memorable in "Dances with Wolves") adds flavor as the reservation's chief of police. Villains of the modern west no longer rustle cattle: They struggle with drugs, poverty and loneliness, and blow off steam with shocking violence. "Wind River" lives up to the title "thriller." It deserves your attention. "Wind River," 3½ stars, rated "R." Does it deliver what it promises? Modern Western/thriller. Is it entertaining? Compelling. Is it worth the price of admission? Absolutely.